Ball bat

ABSTRACT

A toy bat which will receive and reject a plurality of balls for batting pratice. This device consists primarily of a tubular structure having a divider wall defining a pair of compartments, one of which receives and stores a multiple number of balls and the other which provides passageway means for ejecting a single ball at a time, a mechanism for firing including a piston, a spring and lever means for ejecting a single ball.

[ 1 June 25, 1974 BALL BAT [76] Inventors: James R. Ambler, Jr., 4812 W.

3,111,314 Topper............. 273/95 R X 2: i"f t ig y Primary Examiner-Richard C. Pinkham Kedzie Ave" Chicago, I. 60647 Assistant Examiner Theatrice Brown Aug. 16, 1972 [22] Filed:

ABSTRACT 211 App]. N0; 281,026

A toy bat which will receive and reject a plurality of balls for batting pratice. This device consists primarily of a tubular structure having a divider wall defining a pair of compartments, one of which receives and stores a multiple number of balls and the other which provides passageway means for ejecting a single ball at a time, a mechanism for firing including a piston, a spring and lever means for ejecting a single ball.

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UNITED STATES PATENTS 124/27 2 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures 2,545,358 3/1951 Jenkins PATENTEDJUNZSIHH llll \I BALL BAT This invention relates to projectile holding and ejecting toys, and more particularly to a ball bat.

It is therefore the primary purpose of this invention to provide a ball bat which will receive in one compartment therein, aplurality of balls, one of which may be ejected from the opposite compartment when desired so that the bat may be used to strike the ejected ball.

Another object of this invention is to provide a ball hat of the type described which will have piston containing sleeve means with a spring providing a force for ejecting a single ball when desired.

A further object of this invention is to provide a bat of the type described, which will have goard or wire means for cocking the ejector mechanism and push button means carried in the handle of the bat, enables the user to eject a single ball whenever desired.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a ball hat of the type described, which will have the storage compartment for the balls, closed off with flap means covering the opening that receives the balls, the flaps serving to prevent the stored balls from accidentally leaving the compartment of their storage.

Gther objects of the present invention are to provide a ball bat which is simple in design, inexpensive to manufacture, rugged in construction, easy to use and efficient in operation.

These and other objects will be readily evident upon a study of the following specification and the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a vertical view of the present invention shown in elevation and in section;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

According to this invention, a ball bat is shown to include an elongated hollow tube 11 having a partially solid handle grip portion 12. Transversely carried within tube 11, is a divider wall 13 which defines the ball storage compartment 14 and the ejection compartment l5. Bat 10 is of such structure so as to receive a plurality of balls 16, one of which may be ejected in a manner which hereinafter will be described.

The compartment 14 of tube 11 is closed off by the end wall portion 17 adjacent to the die-cut plastic disc 18 within the opening 18. The die-cut disc 18 consists of the plurality of equal size flaps 19 which close off the opening 18' so as to prevent the balls 16 from accidentally coming out of the opening 18. Balls 16 are placed one at a time, into opening 18' by urging the ball against the flaps 19 where upon they will decend toward the handle grip portion 12 within compartment 14.

It will be noted that divider wall 13 does not extend fully down to the handle portion 12 so as to enable balls 16 to pass into the ejection compartment 15.

The ball 16 when ejected is ejected from the opening 20 at the extreme end of bat 10. Just above the handle grip portion 12 is a sight opening 21 for observing if a ball 16 is in place preparatory to ejection. A sleeve 22 is fixedly secured in a suitable manner, within the handle grip portion 12 and a spring 23 provides the proportion for a ball 16. Spring 23 is carried within sleeve 22 and one end of spring 23 urged against piston 24 which is carried on rod 25, the spring 23 serving to provide the necessary force for ejecting ball 16 from compartment 15 when the batter desires. A stop shoulder 26 on rod 25 serves to abutt with the end of sleeve 22 after piston 24 drives ball 16 out of the opening 20 and a cable 27 secured to the stop shoulder 26, is provided with a pull-ring 28 which enables piston 24 to be pulled downward for firing or ejecting another ball 16. Piston 24 is provided with a projection 29 which is slidable within slot 29' of sleeve 22, the projection 29 engaging with latch 30, provides a means of cocking bat 10. Latch 30 is pivotally carried upon pin 31 secured within handle grip portion 12 and push button 32 extending from handle grip portion 12 is pivotally carried upon the end of latch 30.

A push pin 33 carried within tube 11, provides a means of holding the ball 16 in position for ejection. Push pin 33 is of a rubber material so as to engage the periphery of ball 16 frictionally.

It will be noted that the push pin 33 has to be pushed in and pulled out after each ball ejection, so as to secure the next ball 16 to be fired or ejected.

When a ball 16 is in position for being ejected by piston 24, button 32 is urged in by the batter, thus releasing the latch 30 form the projection 29 of piston 24. When the above mention occurs, the spring 23 immediately expands and urges piston 24 against the periphery of ball 16 and thus ejects it from the opening 20 so that the batter may strike the ejected [ball 16 with the tube portion 11 of bat l0.

What we now claim is:

1. A toy ball bat, comprising in combination, a hollow tubular member containing a plurality of balls, said tubular member having a handle grip portion at one end for being held in a hand in order to strike a ball ejected from said tubular member opposite end, said tubular member having a longitudinal partition defining a ball storage compartment and a ball ejection compartment, said ejection compartment having a discharge opening upon an end wall of said tubular member which is opposite to said handle grip portion, said handle grip portion including a cocking mechanism and a trigger mechanism for ejecting singularly said ball along said ejection compartment and outward of said discharge opening, said cocking mechanism including an opening extending angularly and longitudinally through said handle grip portion, said angular opening having a sleeve fixedly secured therewithin, a compression coil spring contained within said sleeve and having one end thereof stationarily affixed respective to said sleeve, the opposite end of said spring abutting one end of a piston slideable within said sleeve, said end of said piston being securely affixed to a rod extending centrally through said spring, and an end of said rod having an enlarged shoulder for abutment against an end of said sleeve, said shoulder being secured to one end of a wire extending outwardly of the end of said angular opening, the exposed end of said wire being secured to a finger grip ring, said ring serving the purpose of being grasped by a player for pulling said wire to urge said piston against said spring, and said triggering mechanism comprising a projection integral with a side of said piston and which protrudes outwardly of a side opening in said sleeve and into a chamber within said handle grip portion, said chamber containing a latch pivotable at its center about a pin transversely supported in said handle grip portion, one end of said latch having a hook configuration for hooking over an end of said piston to strike against one said ball dropped through a communicating opening through said partition into said ejection compartment.

2. The combination according to claim 1, wherein is observed through a sight opening in alignment with said ball through the wall of said ejection compartment. 

1. A toy ball bat, comprising in combination, a hollow tubular member containing a plurality of balls, said tubular member having a handle grip portion at one end for being held in a hand in order to strike a ball ejected from said tubular member opposite end, said tubular member having a longitudinal partition defining a ball storage compartment and a ball ejection compartment, said ejection compartment having a discharge opening upon an end wall of said tubular member which is opposite to said handle grip portion, said handle grip portion including a cocking mechanism and a trigger mechanism for ejecting singularly said ball along said ejection compartment and outward of said discharge opening, said cocking mechanism including an opening extending angularly and longitudinally through said handle grip portion, said angular opening having a sleeve fixedly secured therewithin, a compression coil spring contained within said sleeve and having one end thereof stationarily affixed respective to said sleeve, the opposite end of said spring abutting one end of a piston slideable within said sleeve, said end of said piston being securely affixed to a rod extending centrally through said spring, and an end of said rod having an enlarged shoulder for abutment against an end of said sleeve, said shoulder being secured to one end of a wire extending outwardly of the end of said angular opening, the exposed end of said wire being secured to a finger grip ring, said ring serving the purpose of being grasped by a player for pulling said wire to urge said piston against said spring, and said triggering mechanism comprising a projection integral with a side of said piston and which protrudes outwardly of a side opening in said sleeve and into a chamber within said handle grip portion, said chamber containing a latch pivotable at its center about a pin transversely supported in said handle grip portion, one end of said latch having a hook configuration for hooking over an end of said piston projection, the opposite end of said latch protruding outwardly of said chamber and through an opening to an outer side of said handle grip portion, a push button upon the outer end of said Latch; whereby pulling said ring causes said piston projection to be cocked behind said latch and wherein manual depressing of said push button pivots said latch so to free said piston in order to strike against one said ball dropped through a communicating opening through said partition into said ejection compartment.
 2. The combination according to claim 1, wherein is observed through a sight opening in alignment with said ball through the wall of said ejection compartment. 